


Sharks

by thatsoccercoach



Series: Which Door? (Fluffy Fraser Fics) [77]
Category: Outlander & Related Fandoms, Outlander Series - Diana Gabaldon
Genre: Baby shark, Fluff, Separation Anxiety
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-27
Updated: 2019-11-27
Packaged: 2021-02-26 20:13:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,046
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21584593
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatsoccercoach/pseuds/thatsoccercoach
Summary: How does wee Fergus handle having his Da and Mama go out for the evening?
Relationships: Claire Beauchamp/Jamie Fraser
Series: Which Door? (Fluffy Fraser Fics) [77]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/958905
Comments: 15
Kudos: 57





	Sharks

**Author's Note:**

> I posted this on Tumblr ages ago but I don't think I moved it over here...If I did, please tell me in the comments and I'll delete this one!

“Hello Murtagh! And Suzette!” Claire reached an arm out the front door as if to pull them in, which she actually may have been doing considering they were there to babysit and she was ready for a night out with her husband.

“Lass,” Murtagh mumbled, kissing her on the cheek as he entered through the huge old doorway.

“Claire, darling. I’m so glad we could come so that you and Jamie can go out and so we can enjoy the children.” Suzette always entered in a whirlwind of energy. Brianna had once explained it saying that Suzette was ‘like happy sunshine that got on everyone’ and Claire thought that description rather apt.

The three of them made their way back to the kitchen were the Fraser children were occupied, Claire running down a list of verbal instructions that ranged from completely Fraser-version of predictable (“ _No. We don’t let Faith and Bree sleep with the chicks. The chicks stay outside,”)_ to the utterly random (“ _Please make sure Willa doesn’t eat Lord John’s food. She’s been attempting lately.”)_

By the time they had reached the kitchen Murtagh felt as if he’d lived to lifetimes already, just through Claire’s instructions. 

The ruckus that greeted them, didn’t help.  _ Why on earth did four children seem like so many when their parents were leaving them? _

And the noise that had the children dancing wildly about wasn’t helping matters at all. “What the-” he stopped himself from saying anything objectionable at a quelling look from both his wife and Claire. “-devil is tha’ noise?” he finished lamely.

“That would be the shark song,” Claire explained. As if that  _ actually  _ explained anything. “Fergus has been going through a bit of separation anxiety lately and he loves this song. We thought it might make the transition easier if he was occupied with something he loves in order to distract him.”

_ Separation anxiety?  _ He looked to his wife who seemed to be taking it all in stride. She always did. 

Was Fergus struggling while Jamie and his wife were away? Faith had been attached to him from the moment they met. She still called him “My Murtagh” and practiced piano with him every chance they got. Brianna loved  _ everyone… _ until she didn't. But she had no qualms about being with him and Suzette, even spending the night at their place when she was quite small. Willa and Fergus didn’t demonstrate the same need for other people though. They had each other. Although now Fergus seemed to have anxiety to top it all off.

The whirlwind of activity continued with Jamie clamoring down the stairs, more directions being administered, children everywhere ( _ everywhere! _ ) and the din of various children’s songs filling in any blanks.

Claire spun so her back was to her husband who lifted a delicate necklace over her head and clasped it behind her neck, planting a kiss there as well. Faith and Bree hugged their parents and ran into the back yard. Willa sat on the kitchen floor with Fergus, enduring the chaos by playing with some even louder toy. And then Jamie and Claire left.

“We’ll be back ‘round eleven. Thanks again for watching them!” Jamie said, thumping his godfather on the back.

“Ring us or text if you need anything!” a smiling Claire called out as she waved and made her way to the front door.

It was a moment before things settled. Suzette went into the yard with the older girls and Willa followed along. Pleased to be anywhere her sisters were.

That left the “men” alone. 

Fergus, eyes brimming with tears, suddenly stood before Murtagh.

“Where's Da?” he questioned, shrugging little shoulders.

“Ye ken where yer Da is and yer mam too,” Murtagh remind need him, somewhat puzzled by the behavior. “They've gone to supper and a show and will be back tonight after bedtime, a bhailic.”

“Why's Dad no’ takin’ me?!” wailed Fergus while Murtagh watched in stunned silence.

Fergus sunk onto his knees in palpable despair as tears rolled down his rosy cheeks.

Murtagh scooped up the tiny child and patted him on the back as he’d done with Jamie when he’d been wee. “Hush now. Ye ken they’ll be back. They’d never leave ye long nor wi’ anyone who didn’t care about you.”

Fergus hiccuped and continued to cry softly. “My heart is hurted,” he sniffled.

“Let’s go see what yer sisters are up to,” suggested Murtagh only to have Fergus cling tightly to him and shake his head when he stood to go.

“We canna leave! Da willna find us!”

“I think he would,” countered the older man, confused. But when the lad wailed aloud, he stayed put. “What ought we to do then?”

“My song,” sobbed Fergus. “Play my song!”

“Aye,” agreed Murtagh. “Ah, Alexa?”  _ This was utter foolishness _ . “Play tha’ shark song, aye?”

“I’m sorry. I do not understand play ‘The Shark Song I.’”

Again and again, in different variations, he asked Alexa to play the song to no avail. He finally caved and went outside to ask Faith.

* * *

All gathered in the kitchen at last, the girls fidgeted in the middle of the floor, ready for the nursery school version of a dance party.

“Come on, Fergus,” coaxed Faith, holding out her arms to her frustrated brother.

“‘Mon, ‘Gus,” parroted Willa.

“Alexa, play  _ Baby Shark _ ,” demanded Bree in a near-yell as the tiny device lit up briefly, confirmed the command, and began to play a deep, repeating  _ duh-duh, duh-duh  _ noise.

Murtagh heard it then. The utterly ridiculous and bafflingly addictive (addictive to children, anyway) music emerge from the speakers his godson had installed high in the corners of the room. 

Suzette smiled at him then and grabbed Bree’s hand to twirl her around. The little girl bounced along the with the beat and her curls echoed the motion springing wildly.

Faith and Willa began to sing and make “sharks” with their fingers. 

Fergus held his arms out to Murtagh and began wiggling his fingers in the pincher motion as well. 

“Look, ‘tis a wee shark,” Fergus chirped, grinning at the older man, tear tracks drying on his ruddy cheeks. “You do it too!” 

And Murtagh breathed a sigh of relief and joined in the dancing and motions, enjoying the moment of...relative peace.


End file.
